


Please, Say It (Out Loud)

by Wanderlust_Novadust



Category: Darkest Dungeon (Video Game)
Genre: Mild Blood, Mild Descriptions of Blood and Gore, Mild Gore, Squabbling Exes, Unresolved Sexual Tension, animal injury, doggo gets healed don't worry, good dogs being good dogs, houndmaster's dog being such a good boy, injured animal, mild violence, no animal death here, no beta we die like men, palpable tension I swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:07:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26797096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wanderlust_Novadust/pseuds/Wanderlust_Novadust
Summary: Nobody except the Houndmaster and the Vestal seem to know how to handle themselves emotionally. So, the Leper and Bounty Hunter might as well talk it out.
Kudos: 2





	Please, Say It (Out Loud)

**Author's Note:**

> Yeaaaaaaa it's the return of my boys! William is here as our Houndmaster from Bleeding, Laughing, Crying, and obv Grai and Mallory have been here since the erotica I wrote of them and our Jester, Cavelier! You don't really need to read the others to understand this, I think? But it might help a little.
> 
> This was kiiiiiiiiinda edited, but not very much lol. It's an amalgamation of three scenes I wanted to write out! I've been playing more Darkest Dungeon, so of course, I had to write more of my boys (+ Duval.)
> 
> Also also this was my way of trying to get myself to practice writing fight scenes. I'm sorry if they're really awkward/bad, this is practice!

Overly cautious as Grai was, the last thing he had expected was this. "You're coming with us?"

Mallory and Grai hadn't been in a party together in a long, long time. Their stint died off like embers soaked in the ashes, but they never did really stop. It was obvious to anyone who watched them interact long enough. It was especially obvious to Cavelier (who had endlessly been questioning Grai on why him and Mallory broke off in the first place,) but thankfully, Cavelier wouldn't be on this journey. No, it was just Grai, a Vestal he had yet to meet, William (dog in tow, of course,) and...

Mallory, apparently.

"Yes, I'm coming along," Mallory said with that trademark, dry confidence.

Grai crossed his arms. "And why?"

Mallory gasped in faux offence. "Can I not just want to lend my skills to this run around? A Vestal, a Leper, and a Houndmaster do not a winning team make!"

"I've got strength," Grai began, counting off on his fingers in time. "William has Prince, who can cover damage all over the field, as well as moral support. Vestals are incredible healers, and they'll likely be wonderful for keeping our torches lit, and our enemies defenseless."

Mallory raised a brow, not entirely sure what point Grai was trying to make. Perhaps Grai wasn't sure either.

Regardless, Grai went on, dropping his hand. "What we need is someone who can inflict extra damage. Get the enemies to bleed out, or succumb to poison."

"As though my caltrops and flashbangs can't do just that? Stun them, bleed them, and buy us all time?"

Grai wasn't winning this argument. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to, anyway. He just crossed his arms again, looking to seem upset. Despite that, Mallory put a hand on Grai's shoulder, and Grai could practically hear him smirking. The bastard knew he had won.

"It'll be fine," Mallory told him. "Maybe don't judge my intentions so quickly."

  
\--------------

  
They were in the thick of it now.

"Duval!"

William was in shambles, sprinting to meet his limping dog half way. The Vestal turned as they heard the cry, gasping in mild horror at the way Prince's leg twisted. Scooping him up gently, William looked ever pleading in Duval's direction.

Grai struck a match as he heard William cry out, wanting to regain their lost vision (stolen by the Acolyte's relentless casting.) As the light gained purchase, however, the situation took a nose dive. Grai heard her grunt, looking only quick enough to see her tumble in a heap right up to William's feet. For a moment, Grai wished they had Cavelier here, all nimble jumps and well executed stabs and slashes...

Instead, Grai readied his sword, was about to charge in even, when a tentacle straight from hell itself wrapped around his mid section. He grunted as he was yanked back, lucky to keep a hold of his sword in the force of it. Air squeezed out of his lungs by the terrible thing’s vice grip. Mallory was quick to move in, and Grai felt the rope he'd thrown wrap several times around his wrist, before the hook sank in.

Sharply inhaling through his teeth as Mallory tried to yank him away from the Acolyte, Grai called out, hoarse and breathless, "What're you doing? Go help them!"

"They can handle it," Mallory retorted, successfully pulling Grai from the tendril (without cutting Grai's hand off in the process, thankfully.)

In a heavy breathing heap, Grai looked back to the scene. Prince laid on the ground, held close by Duval. They were muttering, or so Grai assumed, because his leg seemed to be straightening back out. William stood between them and that brawler, and Grai looked up right as William's blackjack made acquaintances with the fucker's face.

The brawler stumbled back, but he wasn't done. Duval quickly stopped working on Prince, pointing an open palm toward the fiend. It was mere seconds before lightning collided with the creature, stunning it.

"Hit him again," Duval cried, and Mallory was right. They would be fine. (Perhaps only for the moment, but Grai would give Mallory credit while he still deserved it,) because for the moment Mallory did deserve it. Mallory, who currently was after the Acolyte. One swing, a second, a third all missed. So Grai hopped to it, not wanting to keep him waiting.

She cast those dark premonitions Mallory's way, and Grai winced internally at the way Mallory held his head with both hands, dropping his hook and blade, whimpering. So with her distracted, Grai took a stab at it, relieved by the feeling of give as his sword slid tip first through flesh. It came out her torso, blood coming up as she coughed. Mallory took this as good a time as any, shaking himself off before using that ax to behead their pinned butterfly.

"Are you alright," Grai asked, rather immediately.

"I'm-"

Their conversation was cut off by the sound of William crying out. His hound howled in sympathy, running as fast as it could on a half healed leg. It bit into the Brawler's arm, tugging it away in a vice grip sure to draw blood. The scratch marks in William's arm were cut through his armor, deep and bleeding as Grai and Mallory decidedly hopped to it.

"That's a good hound! Good boy," Mallory called, and Grai sensed a dry wit undercutting a very true statement.

The hook sank into it after the rope wrapped a few loops ‘round its shoulder; Mallory dragged it over, Prince along with it. Grai watched Duval for a lingering moment, turning their worried attention to William's bleeding arm. That at least meant this would be alright, even still...

..or, William would be, anyway.

Prince whined, loud and abrupt as he was shaken off the brawler's arm. Grai took this as his chance to take a swing at it. Ye, it grabbed the blade, skin cut, blood quickly flowing down his hand and arm--but grip on Grai's blade only wavering in the smallest tremors of its arm. At least he was distracted, as Mallory came in for the kill.

Heads are heavier than you would expect. At least ten pounds, discounting the armor and such. It was the second head to roll onto the ground in the aftermath of that fight, Grai finally realizing that he'd been holding his breath at points. (Though perhaps _“roll”_ wasn’t accurate. Helmets made that hard, after all.)

Heavy sighs. Deep inhales. And Mallory put a hand on his shoulder, shaking Grai out of his thoughtless stare. "Maybe I should be worried about you. You've been staring off a lot, even in combat."

"Worried, that's all."

Mallory cocked his head. "Worried?"

"Especially about you," Grai continued. "You looked close to cracking back there."

Grai's attention was caught by William and Duval walking over, and he missed the first part of what Mallory said. "... Either way, you don't seem better."

Prince had limped carefully over to William, who fussed over his leg like any caring dog owner. Duval was looking between Grai and Mallory with mild interest as they went on. "I must be doing better than you! I wasn’t hit by that ghastly incantation..."

Mallory looked stunned, but Duval decided to let the two of them squabble it out. So she attended to Prince as Mallory retorted. "So you're worried about my head, is that it? Like I haven't done this a million times?"

Grai grit his teeth. "For god's sake, Mallory, why does me caring about you have to be an argument?"

Silence. Prince interrupted it first, barking and licking Duval's hand as its leg finally straightened all the way out. The pain and such were obviously gone; Prince was able to put full weight on it again, and was very happily thanking his healer. William looked over, smile as warm as he could manage in the stress. With Prince taken care of, now his attention rested on the two mangy mutts of their ragtag group.

"Why don't we take a break?"

  
\-----------------

  
Duval broke off a piece of bread, giggling as they held it high for Prince to try and jump after. Grai would have warned them against wasting food by splitting their shares with the dog (when Prince already got some,) but they had plenty. There was no reason for him to be a mother hen over it.

"Good boy!" Duval dropped the food, giggling ever more as Prince caught it before it could hit the ground.

"You're going to make my boy fat," William joked.

"He deserves to be a little pudgy," Duval replied. "He's such a good boy!"

Prince was wagging his tail like crazy, soaking in the positive attention. This left Mallory and Grai to stare at the fire. If you were to disregard the background merriment and the crackles of the fire, it was eerily quiet between the two of them. Grai was the first one to speak.

"Are you okay?"

Mallory shrugged.

"It's just that you've been shaking since the battle ended."

Mallory nodded, as though maybe he hadn't known or noticed.

"Mallory?"

"What," he bit back.

Grai sighed. "I just wanted to make sure."

And Mallory shrugged. Because Grai wanted to help, and Mallory didn't want him too. Grai wanted to give him something Mallory only allowed himself to watch others receive. How does one be a dry, sarcastic beast, while still bringing love and joy to the people around them? Mallory would ask, if he ever found the person he thought could answer.

It was just that he really didn't know how to find them in the first place.

That was fine, in a way. Grai didn't really know how to do anything but reach out. They both had no idea what they were doing. To some, the notion would seem childish, but the truth was that William, Duval, Cavelier--nobody knew what was going on. So while things were far from fine right now, that was okay.

It would be okay.

"I'm sorry," Mallory whispered after a time.

Grai shook his head. "Don't be."

He hummed. "Not even for confusing you?"

"We're all shaken," Grai replied. "And you confuse me plenty, even with my head screwed on right."

Mallory laughed. "You say we, like Duval and William aren't having a good time."

Grai chuckled back. "Maybe we should join them..."

"Maybe."


End file.
